The world generates more than 2.1 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste every year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
With rapid population growth and urbanisation, global annual waste generation is projected to increase by 73 per cent from 2020 levels to 3.88 billion tonnes by 2050, placing even greater pressure on waste management systems and the environment.
In Ghana, an estimated 12,710 tonnes of solid waste is generated daily, but only about 10 per cent is collected and disposed of properly, while plastic waste, which accounts for a significant share of urban refuse, continues to clog drains and contribute to the perennial flooding experienced in many parts of the country.
To help reverse the trend, Women in Tech Ghana has launched a nationwide campaign to promote environmental responsibility and practical solutions aimed at addressing the country's growing waste management challenges.
Dubbed “Green technology, circularity and sustainability awareness,” the campaign is expected to take sustainability education directly to markets, schools and communities to promote proper waste disposal, recycling and circular economy practices at the grassroots level.
The campaign, which will run annually, seeks to reach at least 50,000 people by 2030 through community engagement, virtual training, behavioural change campaigns and partnerships with waste management stakeholders.
As part of the initiative, the organisation will also collaborate with corporate partners to provide solar-powered electricity and refurbished computers to selected schools, while encouraging innovation and green entrepreneurship to support a cleaner and more sustainable Ghana.
Environmental education
At the virtual launch of the campaign in Accra, the Country Director of Women in Tech Ghana, Luvina Sandra Atsu, stated that the initiative was designed to directly impact at least 50,000 people by 2030 through sustained environmental education and community-based interventions.
She explained that the organisation would achieve the target by undertaking virtual training sessions, market and school outreach programmes, social media campaigns and practical community engagements to promote sustainable living.
Mrs Atsu stressed that the campaign would also encourage behavioural change by educating the public on waste segregation, recycling, green technology and circular economy practices to reduce environmental degradation.
Grassroots focus
Mrs Atsu said the campaign was intentionally designed to take sustainability education beyond urban centres to ensure that market women, schools and local communities understood the importance of proper waste management.
“Sustainability is not just for boardrooms; it must reach the grass-roots because that is where real behavioural change begins,” she said.
She added that by empowering communities with practical knowledge on recycling, waste segregation and the circular economy, the campaign sought to reduce pollution, prevent flooding and create sustainable livelihoods across the country.
Waste as economic resource
The Managing Director of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Gloria Opoku Anti, stated that waste should no longer be regarded as a burden but as an economic resource capable of creating jobs, supporting industries and protecting the environment.
“Waste should no longer be seen as a burden but as a valuable economic resource that can generate employment, support industries, protect our environment and strengthen our resilience as a nation,” she said.
She stressed that Ghana's growing waste generation, plastic pollution and climate change demanded a transition from the traditional linear model of production and disposal to a circular economy centred on recycling, resource recovery and reuse.
Mrs Opoku Anti added that Zoomlion would continue to partner Women in Tech Ghana to promote green technology, environmental sustainability and innovation through collaborative action involving government, the private sector and local communities.
Collective responsibility
An Environmental Strategist, Dr Ama Mbeaba Keelson Quarshie, stressed that addressing climate change, pollution and other environmental challenges required more than awareness and demanded collective commitment and action.
“Small actions, when multiplied by many people, create extraordinary change,” she said.
Dr Quarshie added that green technology, circular economy practices and collaboration among government, businesses, schools and communities were essential to protecting natural resources, creating green jobs and building a healthier and more sustainable future.
